New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The Congress has asked the government to share the “profit” of Rs 20 lakh crore earned in last six years from the sale of gas, diesel and petrol with the public as due to pandemic people are suffering the most. Give healing touch by “subventions, injections and subsidies”, the Congress said.
Addressing a Press Conference on Monday, senior spokesperson of the party Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “BJP has to realise that it has to stop this process of solo profiteering. All profits are for them, all pain is for the common man. Instead of stealing touch, they have to understand how to give healing touch, you can give it by subventions, injections, subsidies”.
“Can’t you part with even 5 per cent of our GDP? USA parted with 10 per cent and around the corner with another 5 per cent, total 15 per cent of their GDP. Our Government cannot pocket this profit, it has to give it back to the farmers for diesel, give subsidies to farmers and migrant workers,” said Singhvi.
The party said lives of people are most important, followed by livelihood and It’s not a time for profiteering, it’s time for the government to do profit sharing. The important figure to be noted is that in March 2014, international oil prices were $108 per barrel & 6 years later on March 30, 2020 it was $23 per barrel, 18-19 year historic low. We all should know that a decrease in oil prices internationally benefits directly the Government of India. Petrol as of today is available at Rs 28 per litre as far as international price is concerned, but it is sold to us at Rs 74 per litre.
“It is important that in the nation’s economic grief, the Government has to give monetary relief. It has to be the nation’s monetary relief not the government’s monetary relief,” added Singhvi.
The Congress said that the price of LPG cylinder has risen from Rs 412 in May 2014 to Rs 858 currently. In just the last 6 months, there have been 6 hikes in LPG cylinder price and it is sad that in the middle of Corona month – March, 4 terrible hikes happened.
The party slammed the government for raising fuel prices by Rs 3 per litre on March 14 and on March 24 – finance bill passed sanctioning special duty on petrol, diesel and on the same day on March 24, lockdown was announced but the international crude was at $23 till March 30.
–IANS
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